Show expert makes plea for better handling of wool in utah by PROFESSOR A C ESPLIN extension husbandman utah will not get full recognition for the superior wool produced in the state until fleeces are more carefully prepared for market the production of quality wool in utah is unquestionably ahead of methods of preparing it for market a responsibility which rests with the grower growers have frequently said that when they have prepared their wool carefully v it made no difference in the P price rice they received this may be tru true L in isolated cases but generally speaking growers who are careful get more money than do careless growers care in growing shearing and preparing for market usually is rewarded all of the wool produced within the united states is consumed domestically thus removing the need of fleece skirting at the shearing corral it does docs not however remove the need of careful shearing and packing to preserve the qualities desired by the manufacturer the preparation of fleeces could be done more easily if necessary equipment were added this should include shearing space floor space elevated holding pens to keep sheep off the shearing floor tables on which to grade fleeces andl and adequate floor space for sacking slicking or bailing these conveniences i may not be added at one time to old plants economically but they can oe be provided with very little added cost at the time of construction 16 fleeces cannot be prepared properly I 1 in commercial corrals until shearing contracts condrac ts are written to insure careful shearing and teeing of the fleeces fleece tiers should be trained to do their work q quickly and efficiently however sufficient floor space should be provided should be paid for a quality work and not entirely for the number of fleeces removed the large percentage of loose wo wool ol 01 in utah packs decrease fleece value even though much of the loose wool is bright and clean grading is advisable in the preparation of fleeces for market and united states grading standards can be learned and put into use by growers in a relatively short time the difference iri in price between strictly combing and clothing wools is from five to ten cents per pound yet they are arc packed together by most growers and valued on the basis of clothing wool the utah experiment station reports that a three year study of herds showed that the average staple was combing or 22 inches and less than 25 per cent of the fleeces were clothing lengths grading by length would serve as a means of determining grade length and value of the largo large per cent of utah wool it would in turn show the need of selection and culling in the breeding practices 01 line wool producers if standards of the process of preparing wool for market as bet up oy ly the manufacturers are learned anese standards standard scan can be reached by all growers in a few years by selection of breeding when grading by fineness of fiber the united states slates standards standard can be used in mixed herds to the advantage of the grower if too many grades are found they too can be changed in the process of selection and uniformity of fleeces attained after grading has been done for a few years grading also reduces speculation in both production and marketing no agricultural commodity is more the prey to speculation than is wool at the present time grading of wool by keeping the fleece unbroken is merely the determination of fineness and length of the majority of fibers within the fleeces this process demands careful shearing and fleece teeing this is not too much to do for a major commodity especially when it is one that provides half the livestock income in utah utah produces 16 to 24 million pounds of wool from one and one half million to three million sheep |